CINCINNATI–(BUSINESS WIRE)– SCOPE, the tingly, fear-destroyer that freshens breath and provides consumers with “kiss-ready” confidence, and Fuse, the national music television network of The Madison Square Garden Company, have teamed up as official partners of the 2012 VOODOO Music + Arts Experience – a 3-day music and arts festival in New Orleans over October 26th through the 28th. This year, to ensure festival-goers fill up with confidence before they hit the dance floor, SCOPE and Fuse have developed a unique experience both at the festival and online, helping to unleash courage in fans across the country.

The party will begin even before the artists hit the stage in New Orleans. SCOPE’s Facebook page and “VOODOO: Crowd Courage” tab will be a hub for exclusive interviews, line-up information and videos from 2011 and 2012 headliners. Fans will also be able to post comments and participate in daring polls and a photo caption contest on Twitter using #crowdcourage.

“The VOODOO Music + Arts Experience is one of the country’s most talked about music festivals of the year, and SCOPE is thrilled to be part of this cultural event,” said Rishi Dhingra, Marketing Director, Procter & Gamble. “SCOPE has created an exciting on-site experience so festival-goers can grab free swag and participate in challenges, photo dares and flash mobs with SCOPE as their partner each step of the way.”

Aimed to inspire confidence in all, festival-goers will be tasked with different dares such as, taking a photo with their doppelganger or capturing the most courageous (or outrageous) outfit, to forming a group hug or joining in on the world’s largest conga line. SCOPE will reward those that step outside their comfort zones with great prizes, including VIP ticket upgrades and fun SCOPE swag.

Interested in learning more about music festival sponsorship strategies? Join Lagunitas, C3 Presents, Sunfest, Riverbend Music Festival, Bonnaroo, Forecastle Festival, Moogfest, Big Ears as they discuss the same topics during their panel, “Festival Sponsorship Strategies” at the upcoming International Music Festival Conference in Austin, Texas at the Hyatt Regency Austin, December 2-4.

Dean Budnick, who holds a Ph.D. from Harvard’s History of American Civilization program and a J.D. from Columbia Law School, is Executive Editor at Relix Magazine. His latest book, which he co-authored with Josh Baron, is Ticket Masters: The Rise of the Concert Industry and How the Public Got Scalped. Ticket Masters chronicles the previously untold story of the modern concert industry, revealing the origins, development and ongoing strategies of companies such as Ticketmaster, Live Nation, StubHub and the efforts of numerous independent competitors.

What do you think is the future of the live music industry?

Wow that is the big question, isn’t it? First off let me just say that despite broader economic concerns and the distractions brought on by mobile phone video capture, I am confident that live music will survive and thrive. I think that increasingly the emphasis will be on live music as an in-the-moment collective experience. There is a tangible, vital difference between watching a song on YouTube and engaging a performance in its many layers in the live setting. There may be some added pressure on artists and promoters for additional performance craft and production elements but I feel there’s a real opportunity. This also bodes well for festivals, which not only provide value in terms of the scope of music that is presented but also add a range of additional elements that elevate the context beyond just that of an audience member watching a musician on stage.

Online ticketing is a big business, what are some trends you have noticed within the industry?

The proliferation of secondary sales platforms has very much changed the game. What I think sometimes eludes people is not just that this has made it easier for professional ticket brokers, although that certainly is the case. What’s more significant though is the awareness and the ability for interested amateurs to make some pin money. When Bieber tickets go on sale, anyone from a soccer mom in Nebraska to a college student in Montana to a retiree in Maine, can make a little quick dough if they score some seats and then flip them on StubHub or TicketsNow. This has changed everyone’s perceptions about how to secure tickets and also how to monetize them as well.

Meanwhile, the online world has opened doors for venues and promoters to take charge in a new way. There are so many more opportunities to connect directly with a potential audience, share information and then ultimately sell tickets. Also, while customer data was once out of reach, in many cases it is now available and can be utilized for marketing purposes and to nurture relationships with fan communities.

What band revolutionized online ticket sales?

I’d have to start things out with the Grateful Dead. Josh Baron and I devote an entire chapter of our book to the origins and growth of Grateful Dead Ticket Sales. The Dead really were at the fore in terms of securing 50% of the inventory to all of their shows and then selling them to fans. Of course this raised the ire of Ticketmaster in the face of the company’s exclusivity agreements with venues but as we detail, the “Wooly Freaks” as Bob Weir described them held their own after a sit-down with CEO Fred Rosen.

Still, while the Dead changed the nature of what could be accomplished, they were selling hard tickets. Once we move into the online realm, it was groups like Phish and Dave Matthews Band that really picked up the mantle. In this context, I also think it’s important to single out the String Cheese Incident. We devote a chapter to their story in Ticket Masters. They too were selling online and also had been able to receive 50% of the seats but in the summer of 2003 they were shut down resulting in their decision to sue Ticketmaster. They eventually settled out of court and were required to abide by a non-disclosure statement but they were allowed to keep their allotment.

How has social media affected ticket sales?

Social media has facilitated a new ease and grace of communication. Information can flow directly from bands, promoters and festivals to fans and enthusiasts. Not only does this assist with ticket sales and related opportunities but it draws audience members into the circle earlier and more directly, creating an enduring connection for many people. The ability to have an exchange with one’s favorite artist or receive answers from a promoter or festival insider just makes for a deeper, more satisfying experience all around.

The IMFCON Client’s in the News is a collection of articles and features about professionals and collaborators in the music festival industry. This section helps keep those working in the music festival business stay updated on relevant news and information regarding the people within these organizations.

As social networks continue to gain traction at incredible speeds, many corporations and small businesses are investing heavily in building communities online, and grasping for ways to measure the impact of this investment. In 2010, Eventbrite was the first company to offer data in terms of the cold, hard cash benefits of “sharing.” That initial social commerce report revealed that every time someone shared a paid event on Facebook, it drove an additional $2.52 in revenue back to the event organizer, and 11 additional page views of their event page. Cha-ching!

Where music starts and nature begins was the big question that John Luther Adams, the featured guest composer, was addressing at the 33rd annual Bowling Green New Music Festival: Music and the Physical World.

Kurt Doles, festival director and musical arts dean at the University, said the festival, presented by The Mid-American Center for Contemporary Music, featured contemporary music and lectures by guest composers, artists and writers, centered on the theme of “Music and the Physical World.”

Highlights of the festival included performances and lectures by the three featured guests: Adams, Marina Rosenfeld, artists, and Barry Lopez, author, Doles said. Along with the feature guests, other guests made up the festivals.

“We were very pleased to get the guests that we did,” Doles said. “This is the first year we were able to get a composer, artist and writer—and the first year we were able to get a writer.”

The diverse group of featured guests was important to Adams, who helped organize the event with Doles and suggested the theme around the “Music and the Physical World”.

“We are all kind of doing the same thing in different forms of media,” Adams said. “We are just trying to share our gift to a troubled world.”

The theme for this year’s festival was intended to be very broad in order to make for a unique festival experience. Adams’ music has been influenced by his connection with nature and its sounds. It has been performed in the Anza-Borrego desert, the New England woods and the tundra of the Alaskan Range, Adams said.

The University Lawn was scheduled to be the next outdoor venue for Adams’ experimental music undertaking, with a performance of his piece “Inuksuit” on Friday. Whether the music students hear is the planned, the eccentric beat of drums or the melody of birds chirping in the background, the unpredictable influence of nature is what the piece is all about, Adams said.

“The music is a vehicle for hearing and reconnecting with where we are at the time,” Adams said. “The piece is intentionally porous, so you do not know where the piece begins and where it ends, what is music of the place or piece.”

However, due to inclement weather, the performance had to be moved to Kobacker Hall, Doles said. Prior to the performance, Roger Schupp, professor of percussion and project coordinator for the piece said the University will try to host the festival outdoors this spring.

“Our students and other guests, who traveled here to perform, put a lot of work into the performance. Obviously we wanted to do it outside, but it is better to do it in a place that may not be ideal, than to not do it at all,” said Schupp.

Schupp set the tone for the performance in his introduction to the audience.

“This is not a piece where you will be sitting down in your chairs,” Schupp said. “I want you to move around, lie on the floor and sit on the stage during the performance … You are an interval part of this performance.”

The audience followed suit. As the performance slowly built momentum, progressing from the atmospheric sound of conch shells, to the clanking of rocks and, finally, the thunder of percussions, the audience spread around the hall. Performers and audience members were behind the stage, up in the balcony, and amid the medley was Adams, quietly sitting with his eyes closed.

Over the years, A3C has not only become a staple in the hip-hop community, but a one-of-kind, interactive experience that helps further the culture on numerous levels. This year’s event was no different as the 8th installment of this Atlanta-based music festival was bigger than ever. The weekend provided unparalleled insight from industry insiders as well showcases full of future stars and current legends alike. Since we know not everyone could make the trip, here are ten of the most renown themes from the long and eventful weekend.

Supa Hot Beats Only Works With Supa Hot Artists – There was a stage during the closing ceremonies of the weekend that featured Tech N9ne, YelaWolf, Emilio Rojas, Rittz, Nikkaya, Gangsta Boo, Diamond, Will Brennan and Jackie Chain. When I walked up, I assumed the line-up was just well put together by hosts DJBooth and iHipHop. Then, an extremely grateful Will Power was brought to the forefront and I realized the high-octane set list was actually a showcase of artists he produces for. That’s also when I realized his Supa Hot brand of beats doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves.

Cell Phones Are An Essential Part Of Music (Whether You Like It Or Not) – Everyone knows cell-phones are permanent fixtures in today’s tech-savy society. But, until you go to an event like this, you don’t realize how much the actual music caters to them. Between seeing rappers in Stankonia studio writing and rapping directly from their palm, learning of a renown guitar-player that only uses his iPhone and seeing how crowds continuously prefer watching live shows they paid money to see from a small-screen, it’s glaringly apparent hand-held devices are overtaking even our most creative forums. Oh, and did I mention I paid five dollars for a 30% phone battery, three times? Damn you, Alexander Graham Bell!

Studio Time Is More Hanging Out Than Actually Recording – TSS was lucky enough to be able to go Outkast’s legendary studio and see The Flush facilitate the creation of Stankonia Sessions Volume 2. We learned quite a bit about the recording process, and well, how little recording actually takes place. In the three hours we spent, everyone in the room was mostly busy socializing and hanging out, rather than focusing on the music. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, just something we didn’t expect. The atmosphere in there is a lot more casual than professional and it’s evident how easily good relationships can form through a little chatter in front of the mixing boards.

More Exposure Means More Hassle – While the 8th installment of A3C peaked this year in regard to talent and visibility, the growth made the festival quite a bit more difficult to navigate. Instead of all the action being located in one central hub, the event was sprawled throughout different venues across the city. While that expansion may have been necessary to accommodate all the acts, it made seeing everyone impossible and having a car completely necessary. Plus, who the hell decided to close the parking lot next to the Masquerade? Inviting the entire country to an event, then having everyone park in residential neighborhoods two blocks away is never cool.

Cullen Conly serves as the Manager of the Feature Film Program at Sundance Institute. In this role, he manages the Screenwriters, Directors and New Frontier Story Labs, supporting emerging filmmakers and artists through creative workshops. Prior to Sundance, Conly worked at Paramount Vantage and the William Morris Agency. He is based in Los Angeles.

What will the latest donation of $1 million from the Annenberg Foundation be used for?

The Annenberg Foundation has awarded a $1,000,000 three-year grant to Sundance Institute to provide general operating support for our year-round creative and tactical programs for independent film and theatre artists. These funds will support our labs, grants, #ArtistServices initiative and public programs, including the Sundance Film Festival. We are, of course, very grateful for their generous support!

What is the importance of grants and donations made to the film industry?

Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization, so grants and donations are critical to allowing us to continue supporting independent artists and audiences that enjoy their work. Oftentimes these artists don’t have access to resources, or can’t secure funds to produce their work, and they need organizations like us to support their work. In a larger sense, I think the importance of supporting the arts is critical to ensuring a thoughtful and well rounded society, not to mention contributing some beauty to our world.

What is your favorite part about working in the film industry?

I grew up in a small town in Louisiana, so I learned a lot about the world and about people through film and television. I think film is an incredibly powerful medium – to expose ourselves to other cultures and ideas, to see our own experiences reflected on screen, to challenge ourselves to see things in new and interesting ways. On a more personal level, I’m able to work with artistic and creative people every day, and I’m not behind a desk crunching numbers (no offense to accountants). It’s challenging at times, but it’s equally exciting and thrilling to have a hand in entertaining people across the globe.

What can we expect from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival?

Our Programming team is hard at work finding the best new work for us to share with audiences. I personally believe every Festival gets better than the last, and I think audiences can once again look forward to discovering thought-provoking stories by emerging and established filmmakers and artists. I know John Cooper and his team have more than a few new ideas in the works. Oh, and ideally, snow!

The IMFCON Client’s in the News is a collection of articles and features about professionals and collaborators in the music festival industry. This section helps keep those working in the music festival business stay updated on relevant news and information regarding the people within these organizations.